Chest for silverware



F. A. PURCHAS CHEST FOR SILVERWARE Nov. 23, 1943.

Filed Feb. 13, 1942 S I mw m Tw m m m rmxfi T a m A m L 0 M 1 9 B 2 7 SJ W W 1 w w a;

Patented Nov. 23,1943

cnEs'r FOR SILVERWARE" Frederick A. Purchas',"M;c Graw,'assignor to Central Paper Box Company; McGraw, N. Y .,.a

a E- f ST T.

. corporation of New-York Applicatip nv 'Eebrl al 'y .1

eternal-30,802.

claims. (CLjiiQfi-F-lfilf This inventionrelates to. improvements in a chest for silverware of the typein which a hinged lid is, adapted to contain and to display silver.- ware.

The main object of myimprovement-is to pro-- vide the lid of a chest for silverware with an improved knife support which is adapted, when the lid is in the open positionfto maintain the knives upright with their handles exposed to View throughoutthe length thereof; sothat the design or pattern of each handle maybe clearly seen. l a

Another object of the invention is to provide a knife support for the lid :of a. chest for silverware so constructed that the knives may be' quickly and easily placed into the .support or removed therefrom when the lid is in the open position, and which cooperates Withthezsides of the lid when said lid is in the closed position for maintaining the knives against accidental dis placement or disarrangement. A further object of the invention a simple, inexpensive and efficient knife support which may be adjusted with respect t0.:the lid and releasably maintained. in either of two adjusted positions, one a display-position. and. the her a-lqad ne posit on.

I attain these objects by the .structureillustrated in the accompanying ,drawing;,inv which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a por,

tion of the body member of a chest for silverware;

and a lid therefor embodying the knife support of this invention, said lid being shown in the open position. V l l FigureZ is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view taken,substantiallyin,the .plane 7 of the line 2- 2, Figure '1, showing my novel knife support in full lines in itsv display position and in broken linesin its loading position.

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal sectional View taken in the plane of the line 3T3, Figures2.

, The .chest illustrated in Figure lofbthe. drawing comprises a body member! of anysuitable construction and which is adapted to contain'forks,

spoons, etc. 1 A lid. I2 is. connectedto the body member L inany well known manner, as by hinges indicatedat'ji Figure 2. The lid IZ'comprises a top member 15, a pair :ofside members it and I1 and end members-l8 and l9,'-said side andend members being connected with the top member to extend laterally therefrom in one direction for. providing .a chamber or compartment gear the insideof the lid adapted to contain silverware such as table knives; The-body] 0 and resides providing the lid ofachest for silverwarewith lid LZLmay be composed of wood or other suitable material. The. interior of the body member 10.

and the inner side ofthe lid top [5 maybe lined with suitable fabric, indicated'at 2 l', such as felt." The chest thus far described is of usual con-" struction; l V

Mounted inithe compartment 2li-is my-novel knife. support indicated by the numeral 24. This support is: in the form of a rectangular frame or rack. arranged withinhthe lidcompartment 20 adjacent that side of the in which is hingedly connected withithe-body l0. s The frame or rack 24,.inthis' einstance, comprises an upper. or outer barwmember25 and a lower or inner bar member 26. {These bars extend longitudinally through thecompartment 2E1 from adjacent one end member .l8..to adjacent the other end member 19. The bars 25 andEG, while terminating adjacent the end members 'i Band .I 9, are adapted tofreely mov'e inwardly or outwardly with respect to said end members. The bars 25 and 26 are connected.

to each other at their endsby flat straps 21 and 28 composed of steel or other suitable material.

The strapsor. end members 21 and '28 maybe secured in any suitableimannerto the bars 25 and26as by screws orbrads 29,'as indicated in Figure3. The straps or bars 21 and 28are'each preferablycovered with fabric indicated at 3fl 7 Likewise the upper and lower bars 25 and 26 are Theseshown covered with fabric indicated at 3 I. coverings 30 and BI may be of the same material as the lining 2|. the fabric covering for the frame or rack 24 may be of a different grade of material from that-of the lining 2| and also of different color if desired.

The frame 24 is preferably hingedly connected to the lid .l2'soas to swing from a normal posit-ion within the lid in-substantially parallel relation-with the topdti outwardly intomore orless angular relation with said top, as indicated in Figure 2; For this purpose; the fabric covering 3| of :the, lowerbar26 is cemented or glued atthe-lower side 26'lthereof to the adjacent portion of the fabric lining-2|. The outward swinging movement'ofthe-frame or rack 24 is relatively slight so that thefabric lining 2i and 31 yields sufiiciently withrrespect to the adjacent portions [of the lid end member I1 and bar 26 to permit this slight angular movement of thelower bar with respect to the lid. v

In order that the rack or frame 2 3 will readily support theknives; the bars 25' and 26 are each providedwith a'seriesof, in this instance twelve,

slots 3-3 and 34 respectively; the slots of one se ries being in alignment transversely of the frame Howevenit will be obvious that 1 which is tensioned tourge with corresponding slots of the other series. These slots are substantially rectangular in cross section and are adapted to receive the bladesB f theknives K, as indicated in Figure l of the drawing. The slots is and-34 are formed, in this instance, by cutting away'a portion of the cor 5 responding bar at the inner side thereof adjacent the'lid top 55, as illustrated more particularly in Figures. Each bar has a strap 3 6 composed of cardboard or other suitable material glu'ed'or otherwise secured to said inner side for formingone side of the slots 33v and 36.

The frame or.rack 24 is releasably' 24 and therefore in the upper portion of the com-- partment H where said handles are in full view and the form or design of each handle is plainly: discernible. Furthermore, when the frame 24 is I in its normal innermost position, the knives will i be maintained in the frame due to the fact that said knives are held against longitudinal move ment by. the upper and lower sidev members l6. and I! of the lid; Ittherefore follows that when the lidiis in its lowermost or closed position in overlying relation with the body portion ill, the

hold in.

either its normal knife holding positionsubstantially parallel with the topQi51offthe lidior in a knife receiving position inclined'fwith respect to said top by a catch member 38. Catch 38 is composed of a single, unitary piece or strip ofspring metal bent to form a body portion 39, a latch 40 and a flat compression spring 4|, The body portioni39 ofthe catch.extendsitransversely of the 701315 .and is secured. thereto by screws '42;

Latch 4 9 isformed at. the upper end of the body portion 39 and extends outwardly therefrom over the upper .bar 25 of frame 25.

downwardlyat the-outer or forwardsideoi' the The outer end' of the latch member is looped, as at 43,*to provide a pendent stopshoulder adapted to extend spirit of the invention, and, therefore, I do not. V

bar-25into-engagement with a;keeper-.member 44 secured to the bar. The' spring ii extends upwardly from the lower or inner end of the body portion. 39 to 'a position intermediate the bar 25 and-top I5. I The keeper member 44, inlthisinstance, is composedv of a thin'metal strap bent I U shape to receive the bar 25 therein. The upper' leg of the keeper has the inner end thereof bent upwardly to form' a stop shoulder 45 arranged; when the frame is in itsnormal position,,adjacent to the body portion 39. of the catch at the junction of said body. withthe latch 40; This shoulder 45. is for the, purpose of engaging the shoulder 53 o f the latch member 48 when the.

frame is in its .outward inclined. position. for limiting the outward movement of said frame, as

indicatedloy broken lines in Figure 2. The lower leg 460i the keep'ermembe'r 44 extends inwardlya'shOrt distance beyond the-adjacent inner side" of :the bar 25 for engagement: with spring 4| the frame to-its outer- ;mostpcsition; 1 i When it is desired to place knives in the frame 124, said frame is first released by raising the 'latch' .40. to bring the shoulder liiabove the adjacent side of. the keeper it; then urges the rack outwardlysuntil the shoulder contacts the shoulder 53; This positions the knife receiving slots33 and 34 in a-plane extending from the compartment 2i. of the lid out-' wardly. in outward spaced. relation to the outer edge. it of the lid side it. It will now be obviousthatknives, as'K, may be readily brought The spring element 4| 7 knives are'held in'the frame slots and will, theret fore, be maintained in their proper relation with. respectto the frame 24 and to each other. The i knivestherefore remain fixed with respect to each other andfto frame 24' during the opening or closing of the lid or when the chest is being transported from one locality toanother.

Although the construction and operation of my device is relatively simple, it is obvious that certain ch'anges'may be mad in the details of the construction thereof without departingfrom the wish to be limited to the exact construction shown but only by the'scope of the appended claims. 1

..I,claim: Y 7 l 4 1'. In achest forsilverware, a lid adapted'tO.

house articles of. silverware and hinged at; one.

side to the chest to swing from an open toa closedposition, means forv supporting the articles of silverware comprisinga frame having means engageable with the articles of silverware for maintaining the same in' said frame, means con necting said frame to said lid for movement of said frame from a normal display position with said-frame disposed substantially parallel'to and within theconfines of said lid toa loading position with said frame projecting from said lid,-

whereby the articlesof silverware may be readily placed into or removed from said frame, and means for releasably maintaining'said frame in' at least said normal position.

-2; In a'chestfor silverware, a lid adaptedto house articles of silverware and hinged at one 'side to the chest to; swing from an open to a I closed position, meansfor supporting the articles of silverware comprising a frame having means engageable with the articles-of silverware for into operative relation with the frame 24 tob'e supported therebyby inserting the blades of 'the' knives into correspending aligned slots 33. and 34.) After the: knives have been thusv mounted in: the frame 24, said frame is pushedinward, against theaction of the spring element 4|, to its in nermost position. The. latch '48 now spring's downwardiyand shoulder 3 engages .the'uouter' face of the keeper' i 'i andmaintainsethe frame in its innermost position, as indicated in'Figure 2 ,When the frame is in its innermost position, the knives K are maintained whollywithin' the chamber or compartment 25 withithe-handle por-' tionH of each knifepositionedabove theframe maintaining the same in said frame; means hingedly connecting said frame to said lid ad jacent-the hinged side thereof for swinging move; mentof said frame from a normal display position with said frame disposed substantially parallel to and Within the confines of said- ;lid' to a loading position with said frame projecting angularlyv away from saidlid, wherebyfthe articles of silverware may be readily placed into or removed from said frame; and meansfor' releas ably maintaining said frame inatleast said normal position; 1

3. Insalc'hest. for silverware, a lid adapted housegtable knives and hinged at one side to-the chest vto swing'from an'open' to a closedposition, means for supporting the knives 'comprising a frame having spacedbars formed with aseries, of. slots arranged in aligned relation rerreceiving the blades oftlie knives and maintaining the knives in :said frame, said frame being located adjacent the hinged side of said lid'and' said bars being sospaced that the handlesof said knives'are maintained whollya't' the side 'of said rrameop osite the'hinged sideof said lid, means" hingedlyiconnecting'.said frame to said li'dadjacent the. hinged side thereoffonswinging movei ment of said frame from a normal display position with said frame disposed substantiallyparallel to and within the confines of said lid to'a loading position with said frame projecting angularly away'from said lid, whereby the knives may be readily placed into or removed fromsaid slots, and means for releasably maintaining said frame in either of said positions.

4. In a chest for silverware, a lid adapted to house table knives and hinged at one side to the chest to swing from an open to a closed position, means for supporting theknives comprising a frame having means 'engageable with the blades of the knives for maintaining the knives in said frame, means hingedly connecting said frame to said lid for swinging movement of said frame from a normal displayvposition with said frame disposed substantially parallel toand. within the confines of said lid to a loading position with said frame projecting angularly away from said lid, whereby the knives may be readily placed from one of said positions to the other of such a character that the frame is releasably maintained in either of said positions, and spring means yieldingly urging said frame to its outer position; i

5. In a device for releasably maintaining a movable silverwarearticle support for a silverware chest in either of two adjusted-positions, in combination, a keeper member connected with said support, having a pair of spaced stop elements, a clasp comprising a spring strap member adapted to .be secured to thechestadjacent said support, said strap having a portion projected to form a resilient latch member extendg ing over said keeper member, said latch member being bent to form a stop element adapted to engage either of the stop elements on vthe into or removed from said frame, and meansifor releasably maintaining said frame in either of said positions comprising catch and keeper elements connected withsaid lid and withisaid frame, said catch and keeper elements having cooperating stop means brought into engagement keeper member, said strap member having a second portion bent to form a spring element engageable with the keeper member for urging the support in one direction to maintain the stop element on the latch member in holding engagement with either stop element on the keeper member with each other upon movement of the frame FREDERICK A. PURCHAS. 

